Even though Final Fantasy XIV: Hikari no Otousan was a short drama, they managed to present the story wonderfully. Plus, my only fear that the CGI would be terrible, was quickly dashed, as the computer graphics were decent and they didn't take over the drama. The story was nice, with slice of life vibes and a touching theme. I can only describe this as a nice treat. The performances were really good as well. My only concern is that the story was kind of simple and it didn't help me feel all those emotions that were produced by the idea behind the plot. So, seven and a half out of ten.
5 Reviews
What a lovely (and unexpected) surprise!
danielatala83 December 2018
At first I wasn't entirely convinced by the premise of mixing live action with interactions in the game... but I was so wrong, what I got instead was a beautiful story about a son wanting to communicate with his father through his favourite means, gaming, online gaming through Final Fantasy XIV online to be exact.
You don't have to know anything about the game before watching this series because even if you don't like video games then you'll appreciate the story anyways as it has a big intrigue and is also quite entertaining in the non-game segments.
Although what kind of bothered me was how the mother was portrayed in the series... they could've used her character better, made her more involved in the story cause she's also a part of the family but she's used as a side note and disturbance which is not cool... The other woman with a big role in this series is the sort of romantic love interest of the son Akio, and she's not made any better... which is a shame to be honest, it would've been cool to explore her character as well.
However, all in all it's a great series, and I can't believe that this came out of a Final Fantasy project... considering their other films this is a pretty great project and I would love to see Netflix try out more of these things, especially in a non-western country!
You don't have to know anything about the game before watching this series because even if you don't like video games then you'll appreciate the story anyways as it has a big intrigue and is also quite entertaining in the non-game segments.
Although what kind of bothered me was how the mother was portrayed in the series... they could've used her character better, made her more involved in the story cause she's also a part of the family but she's used as a side note and disturbance which is not cool... The other woman with a big role in this series is the sort of romantic love interest of the son Akio, and she's not made any better... which is a shame to be honest, it would've been cool to explore her character as well.
However, all in all it's a great series, and I can't believe that this came out of a Final Fantasy project... considering their other films this is a pretty great project and I would love to see Netflix try out more of these things, especially in a non-western country!
Great fun
phenomina2321 September 2017
I loved this, it was a heartwarming story of a father and son who are inable to communicate who start playing a video game together with some subtext about life as a salaryman. The scenes of Final Fantasy are visually rich. Very fun watch. If you like video games at all, or are interested in Japanese culture you will enjoy this
Possibly the best short story I've come across
rich-marshall14 November 2019
Truly an amazing story. I watched this over a series of 2 days, less then 24 hours in total. I rewatched it immediately and its entertainment value did not lose a iota. (Watched it with my kids). A beautiful heartfelt story that was entertaining. Based on a true events.
Amazing
jegharikkeemail22 November 2020
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